Subway
by Idris Sweets
Summary: AU: If Donna and Josh had 'met' on a DC metro train. Short, one-short. Nothing spectacular. Enjoy, though!


She sat alone in the not-so-crowded subway. The bench seat was all hers, yet she found herself in the middle. Just getting off work, at that hour of the night, made the emptiness of the DC transit system actually calming to her.

The train stopped to let off more people than it let on. She saw him out of the corner of her eye, as her fingers continued to twiddle with the newest addition on her hand. She was still not used to it's weight (physically or emotionally). The implication has been there for three years now, but the jewerly, and the fear that they might actually go through with it were new. He planted himself down on the empty bench hovering over the opposite end as if to be near another human would be sacrilege.  
She felt his eyes scan her, look away and then look back as if studying to she if she was going to move. Then the unmistakable feeling of his eyes falling back on her and never wavering. As the hairs stickup on the back of ones neck because they feel unwanted eyes on them, her cheeks reddened to an obscene hue as she felt his smile grow.

* * *

This was his chance. As soon as be hurried onto the train he had caught a glimpse, he thought he was wrong so he said nothing, but as he continued to examine her features, the blonde hair, the unmistakable freckled skin, and those green eyes that looked teal paired with her black top and pants, he saw that it was her, and his mind and the late hour weren't playing with him.  
"Hi." That was simple enough he thought. She looked up at him so be continued, still cowaring on his end of the bench, clutching his work bag. "We met last weekend. At The Jackel. Downtown." He let that sink in as she appraised his gentle smile And clasped hands.  
"Josh, is it?" She said shyly.  
"That's it. And I don't think I ever got your name that day. But you work under Russell at The Blue House, right?" Pleased she remembered him but a bit shameful that all be could remember was her bosses name and her place of work.  
"Donna."  
"Donna." He repeated as he stuck out his hand in mock reintroduction. "Nice to meet you." The smirk written all over his face spoke of his enjoyment of that very moment.  
As his hand retreated back to his lap he found himself moving a bit closer.  
They continued the talk for what seemed hours but his stop came all too soon. He found himself two stops before his right next to her with his bag at his side and gesturing widely as they both discussed the pros and cons of an administrator's life, of life in general and of failed and happy loves.

* * *

She could not stop smiling, and with every change of topic she noticed she was more open to him. Her arms uncrossed, her body turned to face him, and her smile was wider than she could ever remember it being.  
Her fingers had been fidgeting with the new trinket on her finger and that's when he noticed it.  
"Oh, I guess congratulations are in order." He sounded sincere to her, that is what broke her heart. He was kind and sweet and funny and she liked being around him, even if she did just 'meet' him.  
With an almost sad reflexsive look in her eye she replied "thanks."  
He didnt press any further. He could she, because she was now right in front of him, mear inches away, that she didnt want to talk about it. She didnt want it brought up. She wanted this moment on a quite empty subway train with him. And he was going to give that to her.  
"So you are in Bethesda, same as me. Long commute. Huh." He smiled.  
"The long commutes have their perks." Her smile revealed the sly implication of her joy in having this time to be away from home but also to be here with him, if only for tonight. The train halted at his stop, he reluctantly removed his hands from around her clasped ones, and wondered when he had done that.  
As he walked off the train and stood smiling at the woman who was staring back at him.

* * *

She sat on the now empty train, looked at the other cars to see very few people still a board the train in all, and waited one more stop, her stop. As she got up to leave she noticed sonething out of the corner of her eye. It was inanimate and yet it beat the shades of red she'd shown through out the night. There it was. Sitting alone. Left for her; his card.


End file.
